US launches second round of airstrikes on Iran, and Tehran responds by targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan
Thursday’s strikes are more evidence that Iran has the leverage in the negotiations with the Trump administration, according to Dan Shapiro, the former US ambassador to Israel.
It is Trump that is desperate for them to sign the agreement, as his statements reveal, and Iran that is dragging their feet.”
A deal that punts nuclear negotiations to a second phase and requires some sanctions relief is a lousy deal — and still the least bad available alternative.”
US Central Command said it had “completed” its latest round of airstrikes just before sunrise in Iran. It said the strikes targeted “Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defense sites,” and were carried out by the US air force, Marines and Navy.
The sounds of explosions echoed around Tehran, the port city of Bandar Abbas and other southern areas along the strait of Hormuz.
Iran responded by launching strikes on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.
Kuwait closed its airspace as its air defences fought off the attack. Kuwait’s directorate general of civil aviation said flights were being diverted to other airports, without elaborating.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had fired ballistic missiles at a US command centre in Jordan, according to state media.
Iran’s UN envoy said the US should refrain from threats of force if it wants a deal.
Israel early on Thursday warned residents in the north to seek shelter after the detection of suspected incoming fire from Lebanon.
The international benchmark for crude oil traded above $93 a barrel on Wednesday, up more than 25% since the start of the war.
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